Embalming apparatus



(No Model.) A Y E. H. HORSEY. BMBALMING APPARATUS.

No. 416,223'. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

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llivrTnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD II. IIORSEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EMBALNIING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,223, dated December3, 1889. Application led December 24, 1888. Serial No. 294,549. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. I-IORSEY, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oiIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in EmbalmingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of embalming.

The object of my invention is to provide a conveniently-portableembalming apparatus which may be packed in a small space, so that it maybe used on shipboard as Well as on land, and which may be used Withoutin any way disfiguring or mutilating the body.

My invention consists, primarily, in a flexible air and liquid tightembalining-sack, preferably made of rubber, rubber cloth, tarpaulincloth, or other suitable impervious cloth, and having a mouth oropening' through which the body to be embalmed may be carried into thesack on a suitable truck for supporting it. The mouth or opening of thesack through which the body is inserted is furnished with set-screwsVand clamping-jaws to close it air-tight after the body is placed in thesack. The sack is furnished at its opposite end with a nozzle or oriliceadapted to be connected with an air-pump for exhausting or partiallyexhausting the air from the embalmingsack, so as to form a partial vacuum therein. After the air has been partially pumped out of theeinbalming-sack the nozzle of the sack is connected to a vesselcontaining the embalming vapor or gas in a conipressed form. Thebody-supporting carriage not only serves to roll or convey the body intothe Iiexible embalmingsack, but to support the same near thelongitudinal center of the sack during the embalming operation, and thusprevent the body from lying upon or coming in contact With the iiexiblesack, so that the embalming vapor or gas may act equally upon the Wholesurface of the body.

To prevent the iiexible embalming-sack from coming in contact with thesurface of the body When the air is being pumped out of the sack, Iprovide the sack with light hoops, springs, or distending devices,preferably on theinterior thereof; and for the same purpose, also,and toinsure against any possible mutilation or discoloration of the face bycontact With the rubber or iiexible sack, I provide a face-masi. Thisface-mask may be attached to the body; but it is preferably attached tothe truck and supported thereby over the face. The truck or bodysupporting device is made (or preferably made) in hinged sections, sothat it may be folded intoacoinpact space. It is provided (or preferablyprovided) with Wheels, and they should be of rubber or furnishedWithrubber tires to prevent any danger of cutting or injuring the sackas the truck is rolled into the same. The springs or sack-distendingdevices before mentioned serve not only to prevent the collapse of thesack against the body When the air is exhausted, but also to hold thesack distended While the body-truck is being rolled or inserted therein.The embalming vapor Orgas employed may be a simple article of commerceand manufactured commercially, or

it may be made by the undertaker at his place of business, and thencarried in a highly-compressed form in a suitable gas holder or vesselto the house or place Where the embalming is to be done. The gas holderor vessel containing the embalming--vapor may be readily connected tothe embalming- Sack after the body has been inserted therein, the sackclosed air-tight, andthe airexhausted therefrom. A sufficient quantityof vaporor gas for embalming one body may be compressed into an ordinarygas holder or vessel of one or two cubic feet capacity. Aftertheembalming vapor or gas has been discharged into the embalming-sack underpressure, according to my invention, the pressure of the gas or vaporcauses it readily to penetrate into and through the tissues of the body.The previous exhaustion of the air from the embalming-sack and from thebody contained therein by means of the air-pump greatly facilitates thesubseqent penetration of the embalming vapors or gases into and throughthe tissues of the body. To facilitate the partial exhaustion of airfrom the body, as Well as the penetration of the embalming vapors orgases into the body, I prefer to insert elastic esophageal and rectaltubes.

In cases where it is desired to hasten the embalming process andcomplete the opera- IOO IFigure l is a side elevation of an apparatusembodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows the compressed embalming gas orvapor holder. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the flexible embalming-sackg Fig.4, an enlarged longitudinal vertical section showing the sack connectedwith the gas or vapor holder. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail View showingthe clamp or .device for closing the mouth of the sack through which thebody is inserted. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is anenlarged cross-section through one of the clampscrews. Fig. 8 is a planview of the body truck or carriage. Fig. 9 is a detail view of one ofthe sack-distending springs or hoops; and Fig. 'l0 is an elevation ofthe sack, showing Weights placed thereon to increase the pressure of theembalming vapor or gas therein. Fig. ll shows the disk or funnel forclosing the mouth around the esophageal and rectal tubes.

In the drawings, A represents the flexible embalming-sack, preferably ofrubber or other cloth; B, the truck for supporting the body thereinduring the embalming operation; C, the air-pump, and D the compressedembalming gas or vapor holder.v The flexible sack A has a large mouth oropening a at one end, through which the body on the body-truck may berolled or inserted. This mouth or opening is closed air-tight by theclamps a a2 and clamp-screws a3. The clamps a d2 may, if desired, behinged or jointed together at their ends, as shown at a5. The lips oredges d6 a7 of the rubber sack at the mouth thereof may be preferablyformed with a rib as and groove a9 Where they are clamped together bythe screws as, so as to form a more perfect joint. At or near theopposite end the sack A is furnished with a pipe or nozzle F, having acoupling f, by Which it is adapted to be connected with the pipe cof theairpump C and with the pipe or nozzle d of the gas-holder D. The nozzleF is further provided With a cock or valve f for closing the same. Thegas or vapor holder D is also furnished With a cock or valve d. Thebodytruck B is preferably made in three folding sections connectedtogether by hinges b and by hooks or devices b for rendering the jointsrigid, so as to properly support the body. The Wheels B of the truck Bare furnished with rubber tires B2, so that the Wheels Will not cut orinfringe the flexible sack when the bodytruck is being rolled into thesack. The truck B is further provided with a face-mask G to protect theface from contact with the iiexible sack A. This mask should beremovably attached to thetruck, so that it may be put in sack distended.

place after the body is on the truck. The truck is further provided atintervals With straps h2 for securing the body thereto and with a neckor head rest b3.

II II are the hoops, preferably made of spring or flexible material, forholding the The ends of the hoop are preferably connected together by aloop h and set-screw h', so that the hoop may be readily adjusted todifferent diameters, as may be required to properly distend the sack forthe reception of bodies of different sizes. The hoops I-I are placedloosely in the sack and may be removed when desired.

The truckis an open frame-Work having just enough cross-pieces b4 toproperly support the body, so that the embalming gas or vapor may haveaccess to the Whole surface of the body. The Wheels B of the truck serveto support the body in the vsack at a distance above the bottom of thesack as the apparatus rests upon the floor or platform, so that theembalming gas or vapor may have access beneath the body. The diameter ofthe Wheels should preferably be in practice about six inches, thoughtheir dimensions may be varied.

When not in use the whole apparatus may .be folded Very compactly. Thesections of the truck when folded together may be inserted in theflexible sack and then the flexible sack' doubled or folded around thesame. The Whole apparatus is thus not only very compact, but it is lightand may be readily carried by a single person.

K represents the end of the esophageal tube projecting from the mouth.This should preferably be about one-half inch in diameter. v The tube Khas a coupling lo, by which it may be connected with the nozzle of agasholder and the gas thus forcibly injected into the interior of theabdominal cavity. This may be Clone, if desired," after the body isremoved from the sack.

For use at sea the embalming-sack should be made of stronger and heaviermaterial, so that it may serve as a casket for containing the body untilthe ship arrives at port. The sack A may be provided with handles forconvenience in handling When containing the body.

The Weight before referred to for increasing the pressure of the gas orvapor is indicated in Fig. 10 at N.

In Fig. ll the esophageal tube K is shown as provided with aconical-shaped iiange, disk, or funnel k2 for closing the mouth andnostrils when the gas-holder is `connected directly With the tube K forinjecting the gas into the abdominal cavity. A strap k may be employedto hold the rubber funnelor dam in place.

I claim- 1. The portable foldable apparatus for subjecting bodiesinternally and externally to the action of embalming-gas under pressure,consisting of an air-tightinclosing-sack flexi- IOO IIO

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ble upon all sides, having an opening for the insertion of the body, andfurnished with means for closing such opening air-tight after the bodyis inserted, a foldable body-supporting frame Within said sack andprovided with Wheels for supporting the body above the bottom of thesack, so that the embalminggas may have access all around the body, saidwheels also serving to roll the body and body-supporting frame out ofand into the sack, said sack being furnished with a tube for theadmission of the embalming-gas under pressure, so that the gas can beforced into the internal cavities of the body through suitableesophageal or rectal tubes, substantially as specified.

2. The portable foldable apparatus for subjecting bodies internally andexternally to thc action of embalming-gas under pressure, consisting ofan air-tightinclosing-sack ilexible upon all sides, having an openingfor the insertion of the body, and furnished with means for closing suchopening air-tight after the body is inserted, a foldable body-supportingframe Within said sack and provided with Wheels for supporting the bodyabove the bottom of the sack, so that the embalminggas may have accessall around the body, said Wheels also serving to roll the body andbody-supporting frame out of and into the sack, said sack being.furnished With a tube for the admission of the emballning-gas underpressure, so that the gas can be forced into the internal cavities ofthe body through suitable esophageal or rectal tubes, said foldablebody-supporting frame having hinges or joints furnished With devices forrendering them rigid, and said frame and sack being adapted to fold uptogether in a compact space, substantially as specified.

3. In an embalming apparatus, the combination of an inclosing-sackflexible upon all sides, and furnished with an opening' at one end forthe insertion of the body, and provided With clamps for closing suchopening' air-tight, With a wheeled supporting-frame for the body,whereby the body may be supported abovethe bottom of the sack, so thatthe embalming-gas may have access all around the body, and whereby thebody maybe rolled in and out of the sack Without Inarring the body bycontact with th e sack, substantially as specified.

4. In an embalming apparatus, the combination of an inclosing case orsack flexible upon all sides, having an opening for the insertion of thebody, and provided With clamps for effecting an air-tight closure ofsuch opening, and hoops for distending the sack or case, with a supportfor the body, substan tially as set forth.

EDWARD H. HORSEY.

